I live my life in growing orbits
which move out over the things of the world.
Perhaps I can never achieve the last,
but that will be my attempt.
I am circling around God, around the ancient tower,
and I have been circling for a thousand years,
and I still don’t know if I am a falcon, or a storm
or a great song.

To me, this poem suggests an attitude of celebration toward the sacred riddle posed by human existence. Though science has dedicated itself to solving this riddle, and purging it of mystery, Rilke suggests (and I agree) that it is a more provocative choice to accept the riddle as an ongoing invitation to exploration and self-discovery, not knowing in advance where the journey will take us, nor what we will learn about ourselves along the way. There is more to life than the mapping of DNA, and the meaning and purpose of each individual life will reveal itself through the art of reflective living. Ancient Tower Press is dedicated first and foremost to the publication of books that can facilitate this art.

The ancient tower is also meant to evoke the stone tower constructed by psychologist Carl Jung during an intense mid-life phase of self-discovery. As Jung writes about this tower in his autobiography, Memories, Dreams, Reflection:

Gradually through my scientific work, I was able to put my fantasies and the contents of the unconscious on a solid footing. Words and paper, however, did not seem real enough to me; something more was needed. I had to achieve a kind of representation in stone of my innermost thoughts and of the knowledge I had acquired. Or, to put it another way, I had to make a confession of faith in stone. That was the beginning of the “Tower,” the house which I built for myself at Bollingen.

While many brave pioneers from Augustine to Zimmerman (better known as Dylan) have contributed tools and perspectives relevant to the self-reflective life, none has mapped the pathway into the heart of the Unknown with more clarity or dedication than Jung. Jung demonstrated, not just in words, but also through the example of his own inner journey, just what it meant to form a relationship to the Great Mystery around which a life of meaning and purpose might revolve. When I was in college, Jung was the first great thinker to light the torch of recognition within me, and it is in memory of his spirit and his contribution that I would like to pass the torch through the publications of Ancient Tower Press. Like Jung’s tower, Ancient Tower Press is my “confession in stone” of all that I have learned and am learning through my own journey, as well as a monument to all those in whose footsteps I follow.

Lastly, Ancient Tower Press is meant to honor the timeless practice of philosophers, sages, and astrologers of all ages, who built both literal and figurative towers to the stars in order to catch a glimpse of the cosmic order underlying the intelligent design of this manifest universe. Having studied astrology for over 30 years, I hold a special appreciation for its value as a reflective language of soul. My understanding of astrology differs in significant ways (outlined in Ancient Tower Press’ first book, The Seven Gates of Soul) from that commonly practiced. But the essence of the astrological premise – namely that there is a correlation between the cosmic order mirrored by the heavens and what happens on earth – lies very much at the heart of the self-reflective journey. It is this premise, articulated within the larger context of a spiritual quest for meaning and purpose, that I wish to explore in the publications of Ancient Tower Press.

Ancient Tower Press will publish books that address the fundamental human desire to know “Who am I?” through all the dimensions within which that question can possibly resonate, “What is my place within the larger scheme of things?” and “How can I live a life of meaning and purpose that evolves from the very core of my being?” These books will be based on the assumption that there are no definitive or final answers to these questions, though the art of circling the ancient tower while listening for the cosmic echo can provide rewards beyond imagining. It is my fervent desire that you find within the books of Ancient Tower Press keys to unlock your own ancient tower, so that you might approach the Sacred Mystery of your Being with intuitive grace, creativity and vision.